Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro are Back in ‘Little Fockers’

The Fockers are back in the third installment of the “Meet the Parents” series. 

Synopsis: After years of marriage, two kids, and numerous series of unfortunate events, Greg (Ben Stiller) has finally made it into father-in-law Jack’s “circle of trust.” That is, until Greg breaks the circle, causing Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse to come roaring back.

The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker escalates to new heights of comedy in the third installment of the blockbuster series—Little Fockers. Laura Dern, Jessica Alba and Harvey Keitel join the returning all-star cast for a new chapter of the worldwide hit franchise.

It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get “in” with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back.

When Greg and Pam’s entire clan—including Pam’s lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson)—descends for the twins’ birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he’s fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack’s final test and become the family’s next patriarch…or will the circle of trust be broken for good?

Directed by Paul Weitz, Little Fockers also stars Barbra Streisand, Teri Polo, Laura Dern, Jessica Alba and Harvey Keitel.

Little Fockers is set to open in theaters on December 22, 2010.

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Jeremiah 33:2-3

This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it -- the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
In a universe of billions of stars, think of the power of God who made them and knows each of their names. Think of all he knows that we don't. Think of all he has seen that is not in our history books. Think of all he has done and can do. Add to this that he invites us to speak to him about the things of our heart and you understand the great expanse of his grace and the very limited knowledge of our minds.
 

My Prayer...
Almighty God, there are so many things about which I am grossly ignorant. There are so many things in my world that I can't keep up. There are so many things about you that I long to know but I can't begin to comprehend. Please, dear Father, give me more of you: Help me know more about you so that I may personally know you more completely. You are beyond me, so please deal gently with me as you reveal yourself. I look forward with anticipation to knowing you face to face in heaven, the Unsearchable and the Almighty God, my Abba Father. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE by Bo Sanchez

When You Fall Inlove

This article isn’t for teenagers only. Falling in love happens to the young and the not-so-young. (Did you see 42-year-old Tom Cruise jump up and down Oprah’s couch because of Katie?) It happens to everyone. Fat, thin, tall, short, intelligent, uneducated, holy, not so holy, dark, white, yellow, green… it really doesn’t matter.

All of us fall in love. And we get stuck in myths that drive us absolutely crazy. My goal is to debunk these myths and convince

you not to believe in them. Let’s begin…

MYTH 1: “LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL.”



Let me qualify. This is such a tricky myth. Because love — as defined by the Bible — will conquer all. But love — as defined by glazed-eyed lovers — will not. If you believe in this myth, you might do the following:



1. You overlook major obstacles in your relationship.

Everyone you know is wondering why you chose that creature from outer space as your boyfriend. Your best friends are telling you to get rid of him. Your family is telling you to throw him

out of a running vehicle. Aling Rosa of the sarisari store across the street is telling you to lace his drinks with poison. But you won’t — because you’re in love. That’s why there are songs entitled, “You and me against the world.” Your best buds comment, “But he’s been jobless for the past three years!” And you say, “He’s free-spirited. He feels boxed in when he’s in the office.” (In other words, he’s an undisciplined, lazy bum.) Your officemates say, “He flirts with other women constantly!” And you say, “No, he’s just friendly.” (In other words, he’s a pervert.) Your cousins say, “He’s taking drugs. He’s got needle marks all over his arm.” And you say, “No, he’s into cross stitching.” (Ouch.)



2. You overstay in toxic relationships, believing that your love will change him.

The wedding doesn’t transform anyone. Even if three Popes officiate the wedding. The person you’ll march with into the church will be the same person you’ll march with out of the church. He doesn’t change one tiny bit. In fact, the marriage makes the hidden more obvious. If he was selfish before he got married, he will be even more selfish after the wedding. If he was hypercritical before he got married, he’ll even be more vile and prolific with his criticisms after the wedding. Here’s the truth: You need more than feelings of love to make a relationship work.

You need mature character, total commitment and a minimum level of compatibility. Especially compatibility in the area of values and life mission. I hear people say, “We’re compatible. Our names begin with the same letter J. My name is Julie and his name is Julio. We’re both born in July.” Wow. That’s so deep, I want to cry.



MYTH 2: “WHEN IT’S TRUE LOVE, YOU WILL KNOW IT THE MOMENT YOU MEET THE OTHER PERSON.”

I’m sure you’ve had this experience before. You’re in a crowded room. You’re surrounded by boring, noisy chatter when, suddenly,

this gorgeous guy enters the door. Your eyes meet. Instantly, time stands still. The universe grinds to a halt. Except for this attractive

man in front of you, everything in your vision becomes a giant blur. The hubbub of the crowd becomes a soft muffle and, from out of nowhere, you hear gentle violin music from

the background. One week later, he’s your boyfriend. A few weeks later, you discover that your boyfriend’s a pathological liar, buried in credit card debt, borrows money from all his girlfriends

(you’re his eighth in six months). Your mind says, “Dump him.”

Your heart says, “But it was love at first sight!” Here are the consequences…



1. You become so focused on the magical first moment, you become blind to the dark sides of the relationship.

Six out of seven days, you’re fighting with your boyfriend.

But you can’t give him up because you met each other in such a magical moment. Your car keys fell and he picked it up, and then your eyes met, you smelled his deodorant, and you dropped your keys again… How can you not be meant for each other?



2. You become a love-at-first-sight junkie that you could miss out on the “real thing.”

One intelligent woman told me, “Bo, there’s this guy who’s courting me. He’s okay. He’s kind, he’s responsible, he has a good

job…” “I could hear a ‘but’ coming,” I said. “But there are no

sparks!” she bit her lip. “No violin music playing in the background, huh.” “None. When I see him, the background music

I hear is lululalu-lalulalulalei…” “Listen. You don’t need a magical first moment to meet your potential husband. The important things are mature character, financial responsibility,

ability for commitment, compatible mission and values…” I actually met this girl again on her wedding, and before she marched down the aisle, she whispered to me, “Do you hear the violin music, Bo? It’s loud and clear.” It doesn’t have to be love at first sight. In fact, marriages with the least adjustments are those between friends who’ve known each other for years before they realize that they’re good marriage material.

What is love at first sight? Many times, it’s lust at first sight. Or infatuation at first sight. Don’t give it too much weight. Here’s the truth: It takes a moment to experience infatuation but true love takes a lifetime.



MYTH 3: “IF IT’S TRUE LOVE, YOU WILL FEEL THIS WAY FOR EACH OTHER FOREVER.”

No, you won’t. Here are the consequences for believing this myth.



1. You panic when the feelings wane, and wonder whether the marriage is over and whether you really loved one another in the first place.
Imagine the night of your honeymoon. Your new bride is sleeping. The cotton curtains are gently swaying in the cool breeze. You gaze at her lovely face. You study her soft cheeks. Her long eyelashes. Her beautiful nose. Her parted red lips. And all of a sudden, she snores. “Ngggggoork.” How do you react? Because it’s your honeymoon, you say, “How cute.” Six months down the road, the same scene transpires. Your wife is sleeping.

And the same cotton curtains are gently swaying in the cool breeze. And you hear her snore. “Nggggoork.” What do you say? “Sssssheeesh, Honey! You sound like a boat!” What has happened? The feelings have gone. Let me say this: That’s normal. It happens to everyone. But it doesn’t mean your love is gone.

So don’t panic! You can make a decision to love the snoring

boat.



2. You start blaming your partner for the loss of love.

This is nutty. But many people do it: When we don’t feel in love, we think it’s the fault of the other person. And so we fight him.

Again, we fall out of love because we’re human beings.

It’s nobody’s fault. The moment you fall out of love, the real work

begins. Let me explain. This is the most important point I’m going to make. (I got this from Scott Peck in his bestselling book, The Road Less Travelled.)



Falling in love isn’t love.

Here’s why. When you fall in love…

a. No decision is required.

Falling in love just happens.

b. No effort is required.

Falling in love is like… well, falling.

c. No hard work is required.

Falling in love is being bitten by the love bug. On the other hand, true love requires all three: Decision, effort and lots of hard work. In the Bible, love is a command. You make it happen. So true love can only happen after you’ve fallen out of love. When you begin choosing to love, even if you don’t feel like doing it — that’s true love. And that’s the foundation of a lasting marriage.



MYTH 4: “YOUR PARTNER WILL FULFILL YOU COMPLETELY.”

Again, because falling in love satisfied you completely — you want that same satisfaction to last. No it won’t. Consequence? You might fail to recognize a good relationship because your partner isn’t fulfilling the needs you should be fulfilling yourself. Here’s the truth: The right partner will fulfill many of

your needs but not all of them. There are just some things your

husband can’t give you: Your self-worth. Your spirituality.

Your inner happiness. These are things you have to work on your

own. I’ve met lots of people who think they’re dissatisfied with

their marriage. In reality, they’re dissatisfied with themselves.

I’ve met lots of people who think they’re bored with their

marriages. And they complain to the high heavens how boring

their husband or wife is — when in truth, they’re really bored

with life. Meet your own needs. Find your happiness in God. Find

your niche, your calling, your destiny. And then share your joy

with your spouse.



MYTH 5: “IF IT’S TRUE LOVE, YOU WON’T BE ATTRACTED TO ANYONE ELSE.”

If you believe in this myth, you panic when you get attracted

to someone else, questioning the authenticity of your

love for your spouse. One man told me, “Bo, I love my wife. Or I thought I did. But then I met this woman at work. She has nice makeup. She smells nice. She wears a pencil-cut skirt. When I go home, my wife is wearing a drab rag. Her hair is undone. She smells of vinegar. Gosh, am I attracted to this girl at work.”

Being attracted to someone else is normal — even if you
have a happy marriage. But being attracted doesn’t mean falling

into adultery. Every time you think of the other woman, discipline your heart and say, “Home, boy! Home!” and escort your heart back to your wife. Because if you feed your attraction with fantasies and constantly think about the other woman, it grows. But if you starve your attraction, it dies a natural death. Let me end by sharing with a special prayer for those still single. Pray this prayer with all your heart.



PRAYER OF THE SINGLE PERSON

Lord, you made me to love.

You created me to be a lover.

Whether to be a lover as a married person

or as a happy celibate is up to you.

But I shall be a lover every day of my life.

And I shall do everything

from my decision to love from the heart.

Amen.

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

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2 Corinthians 9:10 – enlarge the harvest of your righteousness

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. – 2 Corinthians 9:10

Do we see that God provides for us in order to provide for others? Sometimes the greatest test for us is when we have abundance. How will we use the resources that God has given us? Are we willing to sow out our seed and give our food? Many Christians have missed great harvests because they used their seed upon themselves.

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"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

— 1 Samuel 16:7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Have you ever wondered how many potentially good friends you may have lost simply by judging them on your first impression of them? I'm amazed at how the first impression very seldom tells us much of substance about another person. We're not really going to be able to evaluate people properly until the Lord reveals at judgment what is really in their hearts. Don't you think that we should give them time to reveal what is in their hearts before we make a decision about them?! Let's don't just look on the outward appearance!

My Prayer...
Father, you alone know each heart. Please help me be more patient with others before forming an opinion about them. Please give me eyes to see them as Jesus does. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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